Interesting...
Just a short comment: when talking about Arch-Microbes, I\'m assuming they eat up the petroleum and produce carbon dioxide, and not oxygen?
For a lifeform to use chemical energy, it must oxidize it, using O2, SO2, NO2, or one of many other oxygen compounds, and will then release a more oxidized version of its \"fuel\".
The only lifeforms that release oxygen use solar energy to do so, and thus cannot live near deap ocean vents.

There are certainly various options.

I\'d really like to see them get that oil leak stopped first of all! Anyone else notice that a huge majority of the proposals to \'stop\' the leak instead involved the company collecting the oil in one way or another...

It doesn\'t sound like they really want to stop the leak at all! They just want to funnel it and make some money... how can they ignore the environment so blatantly!

According to Amira\'s website, it states that the Arch-Microbes do in fact create oxygen, as oppposed to Carbon Dioxide... I\'ll need to see allot more information provided by the creator of such a product though before I\'m a believer.

Two comments:
1. It is very highly UNlikely that the well is flowing at 100,000 bbls/day. This number represents a gross exageration put forth in the media and is from uninformed individuals making guesses by looking at the seafloor videos. This type of reporting borders on hysteria creation, and is shameful.
2. Re: Colter Cederlof\'s comment. To suggest that BP might not want to stop the flow of oil from this well is absurd, and reflects the general ignorance of the commentor. Uncontrolled flow into the water results in weathered crude that has virtually no value. In addition the cost to collect and dispose of this weathered crude is many, many times its value. This is just cowardly oil company bashing, you should be ashamed!

I agree with Colter Cederlof to stopped first the oil leak and the next step is to collect the oil spill. This is a very simple solution.

Let\'s plug it:
Imagine a very large, steel/kevlar, closed umbrella. Insert it thoroughly into the pipe and then open it up. The more pressure that the oil/gas exerts, the stronger it would hold it back. In fact, I believe that the conical shape would evenly distribute the pressure and form a more powerful \"plug.\"

Solution For The Oil Spill in The Gulf of Mexico
A method/machine was designed for cleaning up liquid petrol and/or petroleum products, which are spilled over sea, using waste rubber powders; providing the recycling of this addend mass by squeezing; and moreover waste rubber powders used for cleanup process, are able to use again and again. Surface area/volume rate and the porosities of the waste rubber powders by decreasing grain size are increased. The absorbed petrol and/or petroleum products by the activated waste rubber powders are squeezed. While using this method/machine both liquid petrol and/or petroleum products are saved in the accumulation pool by squeezing the activated rubber particles and the particles which is complete its life span, could be used as a raw material in several industries. The number of the patent: TR 2008 04830 B Classification of the patent: E02B 15/04 Valid since: 2009/10/21
Arif Oguzhan Yurdalan
Materials and Metallurgical Engineer
Yurdalan Technik und Schaffung

Submitted my idea - as below:

Hi all,

A simple metal circular hinged clamp to be lowered over the pipe,
(open) and a tank of air created to hold the clamp closed. (giant tongs)
(maybe with hydraulic backup) Please see my simple sketch below.

Simple, cheap, and effective in materials, labour, transportation.
Easily duplicated, cost effective, have standby units.. to fit, off the shelf.

BP please note: royalties would be appreciated for this poor engineer.

seen at: http://www.jtmart.co.uk/Oilrepair.jpg

Maybe not the best pic/idea in the world, but cheap and workable?

jt.

Wouldn\'t this stop the leak?

The design:

Take a basketball and cut it in half. Lay the hemisphere on the ground witth the cut edge on the ground. Depress the top center so it is about 2\" from the ground.

Now make this design out of solid steel, maybe 2 feet thick with a diameter of, say 50 feet. We\'re talking quite a few tons. Maybe nickel plate the entire unit to inhibit rust.

At the bottom of the depression is a huge screw-eye with a big long chain attached.

If the weight of the dome and mile long chain is too much for a ship and its hoist to handle, the dome could could be made of 1\" or 2\"\" steel with internal steel fortification and air and styrofoam inside- making the dome more boyant. Whatever the design- if they can make subs or send down cameras and construction equipment at that depth which can withstand the pressure, they can make a dome which will survive the depth also.

After the dome is centered over the oil exit hole, the heavy chain can be lowered to fill the depression on the dome, giving it lots of weight, then the chain is cut. Then the dome can be covered with sand and rocks which would give the entire covering plug plenty of stability

Mike Corman

misterfact@yahoo.com

@Colter: They\'re not making money from the cleanup. They may manage to use some small percentage of the leak, which is more positive than not doing so.
Stopping the leak and cleaning the slick are two different tasks, with different sciences. You are unlikely to find one operation doing both.